A Friend in Need
by LN8866
Summary: Post-Nature of the Beast  S9E1 .  Tim goes to see Tony in the hospital.  Angsty.  Tony & Tim friendship.


A/N...I own nothing of NCIS! Post-Nature of the Beast (S9E1). Tim goes to see Tony in the hospital. Angsty. Maybe a tiny bit OCC for Tony (but I hope not too much). I like this one-as I like the whole Tony/Tim friendship...Found this hard to write, so I really hope you like this.

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><p>Tony was in bed, trying to get comfortable. No matter how he moved, his head and chest hurt. He was startled by voices outside his door.<p>

"You can't go in there and see him, I don't care who you are sir. Visiting hours aren't for two more hours."

Ah...Nurse Watkins was laying down the law against a potential visitor.

"I know its six in the morning, but I am here to see my partner. If he is asleep I will be quiet and let him rest."

McGee! It was surprising to hear his voice, but comforting.

Tony figured shouting out the door would signal him to come into his room. "Probie, are you going to stand outside the door all morning or come in?"

McGee walked into the room. He inhaled sharply. "You look like death. How do you feel?"

"Well, considering I had an all night therapy session with Dr Rachel Cranston and haven't slept yet, I'm great. What are you doing here? Thought you'd be defraging your computer at this hour."

McGee rolled his eyes at Tony. "I don't defrag my computer until Friday night so shut up and stop moving around. You need to rest. I don't want to hear any arguments."

Tony shifted in his bed. Tim sat in the chair next to his bed so he could get a better view of the television. "McGee, move your chair away from the head of the bed."

"I want to watch TV while you rest. I can't see if I sit anywhere else."

Tony's voice grew louder and firm. "Move the damn chair or I will." Tony got up and started to move towards the chair but sat back down when Tim moved the chair.

Since Tim couldn't see the TV easily, he sat on the window sill. He looked at Tony with a questioning face. "What's wrong Tony? You've had concussions before but you've never been one to overreact."

"I'm sorry. Look, I am tired. I'm going to shut my eyes. Make yourself at home." Tony said. He rolled over onto his side, with his back to McGee.

Tim watched Tony resting. He couldn't tell if Tony was asleep or not, so Tim sat very still on the window sill, playing with his cell phone. About an hour later, Tony spoke. "They didn't find her in time."

"EJ? She'll turn up. She is smart. I am sure she's hiding out until this is all over..."

Tony interrupted Tim and sat up in bed. "No, they didn't find my mom in time. My father and I went fishing one weekend. My mother dismissed the help and she got drunk, so drunk she fell down the stairs and cracked her head on the marble landing. She wasn't found until the morning after it happened. We took her to the hospital and she was in a room like this. I sat in the chair next to the top of her bed while she was in a coma, watching movies until she died. That's why I don't like hospitals or chairs by the head of the bed."

Tim sighed. "I'm sorry Tony. I honestly had no idea. I know you hated hospitals so I told Gibbs I'd stay with you today. Figured you needed the company."

Tim walked over to Tony's bedside and sat down on the edge, speaking in a soft reassuring tone. "Tony, nothing bad is going to happen here. You had every possible test done for your concussion. You are fine. The vest saved your life. You are a grown man and you know the placement of a chair is not going to kill you. It's just a superstition you created when you were a child and you carried over into adulthood. Everything will be fine"

Tim was right. Adult Tony knew the placement of a chair wouldn't send him to the grave, but the child in him refused to buy that. Panic set in. Tony looked Tim in the face. "I don't like it here. I need to leave. I can't stay here. Get me out of here."

There was such desperation and fear in Tony's voice that it scared Tim a little. Usually Tony was strong. He was either cracking jokes, pulling pranks or he was on the other end of the spectrum being very stoic and serious. Tony never acted liked this before, not when Kate died, not when he was framed for murder, not even when Ziva was missing. Tim turned his head and looked out the window. He was quiet for what seemed like an eternity for Tony.

"Timmy please, I'm begging. Take me home, your place...I don't care where. Just don't keep me here."

McGee knew he couldn't keep Tony in the hospital. Only a few times in their friendship did Tony call him 'Timmy'. The last time Tony called him that was on the plane ride home from Somalia when he kept checking to make sure Tim was alright. He remembered how worried Tony was since Tim took such a beating in that cell.

Tim got his phone and dialed. "Boss, I'm signing Tony out and taking him back to his place. I will stay with him. Just tell Abby and Ziva to come to the apartment instead of the hospital. Yes, extremely difficult." Tim finished his conversation with Gibbs and put his phone down.

Tony looked at Tim with excitement. "I'm going home?"

"Yup. I figure at your home you can drive me less crazy than if we stayed trapped in a hospital room."

Tim got up and walked to the door. "I'll be back in a minute. I need to find someone to get your discharge papers started."

Tony called out "You won't tell anyone about the whole chair thing and my mother, will you?"

Tim turned around. There was a brief moment, very brief, that McGee thought of telling everyone about Tony getting upset over a chair. Instead he internally admonished himself for thinking of turning on his broken friend. How could he even thing like that right now. It's not like he Tony glued his hands to the keyboard or went through his desk. Right now Tony was weak and needed someone to help him get strong again, not tear him down.

"What are you talking about? You fell asleep when I got here and I am taking you home. I need to go find your doctor to get discharge papers." Tim walked out the door.

He smiled when he heard Tony shout "Thanks Probie-licious!"


End file.
